


In Only Seven Days

by kinole009x



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Babies, F/M, Fluff, Johnica Week 2020, One Shot, Romance, Short & Sweet, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:08:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22319125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinole009x/pseuds/kinole009x
Summary: It's 1978.  John gets down on one knee and proposes to Veronica, but it's not in the way you're thinking.
Relationships: John Deacon/Veronica Tetzlaff
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16
Collections: Johnica Week 2020





	In Only Seven Days

**Author's Note:**

> In honor of Johnica Week!  
> Prompt: Proposal

_**September 1978  
**_  
 **Monday  
**  
"Please?"  
  
Ronnie looked up to see John leaning in the doorway of their bedroom, his eyes wistful, and she knew exactly what he was asking of her.  
  
She held out an inviting hand to him, wondering how long he had been watching her as she slowly swayed back and forth with baby Michael on her hip.  
  
John slowly came to her, a fire of hopeful anticipation lit in his eyes.  
  
"John, we talked about this," she said gently as she laid her palm against his cheek. "It's too soon."  
  
John nodded and offered her that sweet smile that she adored, but not before she saw the disappointment that had extinguished the fire in his eyes.  
  
"A-all right," he whispered.  
  
Michael whimpered then, and Ronnie gave John a quick peck on the lips, before turning away to tend to the baby.  
  
As she sat cross-legged on their bed and breastfed him, Ronnie sighed. It's not that she didn't want to grant John's request. No, it wasn't that at all.   
  
The simple fact was that she had given birth only seven months before and she was adjusting to being a mom for the second time. Her days were filled with unconditional love but at times, exhaustion clouded her mind _and_ her heart, and she feared her ability to give _that_ kind of love, the kind that lurked in dark corners at night and pierced your soul if you weren't expecting it, and Lord knows, it never bothered to knock or announce that it was coming...  
  
Because what if she gave John that kind of love and it wasn't enough? _Or,_ what if it was way too much? She had zero sense of balance right now.  
  
Ronnie listened to John's slow footsteps as he walked down the stairs and gritting her teeth in determination, she firmly told herself that they weren't ready anyway.  
  
 **Tuesday**  
  
A beautiful ray of sunshine woke Ronnie early that morning and blinking sleepily, she rolled over in the bed as she yawned, and...  
  
...came face to face with John, lying very still as he stared straight at her.  
  
She was about to smile and wish him a good morning, like she always did, but then something made her stop and look a bit more closely at him as she tried to discern exactly what he was feeling, but his face was a blank canvas this morning, as opposed to the open book she could usually read.  
  
Then, slowly, emotion darkened his eyes.  
  
And just as slowly, Ronnie lifted the covers higher, and higher, until she had effectively tucked herself under them and was out of sight.  
  
She was not one bit surprised when John ducked under the blankets and gently grasped her hips, rolling her over so that she was sitting right on top of him.  
  
"Please?" he whispered.  
  
And there, under the covers and secure in their own silent love fort, Ronnie almost threw caution to the wind with a cheerful _why the hell not,_ and began to lean towards him, until she remembered that it would not do to succumb to toe curling emotion and to get herself totally lost on Venus, that planet infested with love and beauty and sexual metaphors.  
  
Even so, Ronnie found herself kissing John.  
  
"No," she murmured against his lips, before she crawled off him and hurried from the room.  
  
 **Wednesday**  
  
Ronnie had just been about to congratulate herself for washing four plates, ten mugs, a handful of silverware, and a spatula, all without being interrupted, before sighing as she wondered when dish washing had become so therapeutic, and feeling she should really just burst into tears instead.  
  
Hormones.  
  
Walking across the kitchen while simultaneously drying her hands on a dishtowel, Ronnie turned off the light and stepped into the dark hallway.  
  
"Please?" a voice whispered as a figure slowly peeked around the corner.  
  
Ronnie jumped, pressing a hand against her heart which was now beating out of control, before whacking the figure with the dishtowel and shrieking, "John!"  
  
John laughed softly as he pulled her close. "I'm sorry. Sort of."  
  
"You're relentless, you know that?" Ronnie chided him as she circled her arms around his neck.  
  
"So are you," John pointed out as he leaned his forehead against hers.  
  
Ronnie sighed as the weak light of a crescent moon filtered through the window and showed her John's serious expression.  
  
"I know I'm asking a lot from you..."   
  
"Yes!" Ronnie agreed.  
  
"But what better time than now?" John persisted. "Queen will be going on tour again soon..."  
  
"Mmmhmm," Ronnie murmured.  
  
"And we're getting older..."  
  
"John, we are in our _twenties_ ," Ronnie said with a laugh. "We have plenty of time."  
  
"But..." John trailed a finger gently down her spine.  
  
Ronnie cupped his face in her hands. "Is this what you want, John?"  
  
"Yes," John's voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
"Is this really, _really_ want you want?"   
  
"Ronnie..."  
  
Ronnie placed a light kiss on his nose and...  
  
"No," she said gently, before placing the dishtowel in his hands and rushing up the stairs.  
  
 **Thursday**  
  
Ronnie's self-restraint began to falter in the bathroom that evening.  
  
Wrapped in a white towel, she stood in front of the full length mirror as she thoroughly brushed her teeth, and then she saw it...  
  
At the top of her right breast was the beginning of a long, white jagged line, which disappeared under the towel. Curious, she let the towel drop to the floor.  
  
Ronnie's face fell as her right hand slowly released her toothbrush, leaving it hanging in her mouth. With desperate fingers, she ran her hands down her bare chest, her belly and over her hips as she rediscovered all the changes that two pregnancies had wrought upon her body, changes that she refused to acknowledge by never stepping in front of a mirror naked...  
  
She halfheartedly told herself that now was _not_ the time to pity, to judge, to scrutinize, to be unkind to herself. John had given her this precious time to herself when he offered to watch their two young sons and the result had been a luxurious, long hot shower and the chance to finally shave her legs...  
  
The stretch marks, the wider hips, the enlarged, sagging breasts, all gradually blurred and disappeared as tears filled Ronnie's eyes and she covered her face with her hand and let out a small sob, muffled by the toothbrush between her teeth.  
  
"Ronnie?"  
  
Ronnie spun around, wrapping one arm around her chest and one arm around the lower half of her body, though she was sure it barely hid anything.   
  
John was standing in the doorway, concern radiating from him in waves. His eyes traveled down her entire body, before he noticed something and turned away to collect a few items of importance.  
  
Ronnie remained frozen in place, her arms wrapped around her exposed body, as John knelt before her and inspected her left leg. A thin trickle of blood was running down it and Ronnie realized she had been careless with the razor.  
  
John looked up at her then and with eyes that were incredibly sad, whispered, "Ronnie, please..."  
  
For a moment, Ronnie thought he was repeating his request from the previous few days, but when he gently pulled her arms away from her body, she realized he was only asking her not to hide herself from him, to trust him with a view that he actually cherished, to not be so hard on herself.  
  
Using a wet cloth, John wiped the blood off her leg and placed a band aid over her tiny wound. He then slowly rose to his feet, his eyes roaming over every one of her curves, until he was looking her in the eye.  
  
"You're b-beautiful," he said quietly, before lightly kissing her forehead and shoving his hands deeply into his pockets, leaving her alone and dumbfounded in the bathroom.  
  
Finally plucking the toothbrush out of her mouth, Ronnie turned back to the mirror and saw herself in a new light. She marveled at the fact that John had just managed to touch her so deeply while barely laying a finger on her, and for the briefest of moments, she considered running after him and telling him _yes_.  
  
But then she reminded herself that she was tired, she was emotional, and it was not yet time.  
  
 **Friday  
**  
It was unusually late when Ronnie walked by the kitchen table, on her way to bed, and spotted the red rose lying on top of a white envelope.  
  
Slipping a finger under the flap, Ronnie pulled out a small piece of paper, which contained one word written in John's handwriting.  
  
 _Please?_  
  
Looking up, she saw John wandering casually through the doorway, as if he just so happened to be passing through.  
  
With a racing heart, Ronnie tucked the note back into the envelope and laid it back on the table, before picking up the rose and stepping forward to find a vase.  
  
John blocked her path and looked down at her expectantly.  
  
With a gaze that offered no indication of what she was thinking or feeling, Ronnie circled the table, intending to escape the other way. But John quickly stepped sideways, preventing her from moving past him.  
  
Ronnie slowly backed away, back around the table, while twirling the rose with her fingers.  
  
John folded his arms and raised his eyebrows meaningfully.  
  
In answer to his unspoken question, Ronnie placed her hands on the table and leaned forward. John leaned forward, as well.  
  
"No," Ronnie whispered.  
  
And then, quick as a flash, Ronnie lunged forward, managing to get around him before he could catch her, and ran into the hall, already knowing that he was right behind her.  
  
The wooden floor was slippery and her socks did her absolutely no favors as she slid into a wall, before regaining her balance and charging for the stairs. It was around that time that she realized she had lost her rose.  
  
But just as she was about to ascend the staircase, John grasped her hand, scooped her into his arms, and carried her upstairs.  
  
"John, no!" she protested as she writhed around and tried to make his job extraordinary difficult, because she knew if she didn't revolt, she would simply melt into his arms and relinquish all power to him.   
  
As they passed little Robert's room, she lowered her voice to a whisper and continued on with her objections.  
  
"No, no, _no!"  
_  
John carried her into the bedroom and peeling back the covers, placed her gently on the mattress. But before she could roll away, he pulled the blankets up to her chin, and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
His lips lingered there for a few moments, before he placed the rose on her abdomen, backed away, and murmured, "Goodnight."  
  
Before he disappeared into the hall to check on Robert, he turned back in the doorway and offered her the sweetest of smiles.  
  
Ronnie stared after him in awe, before her hand emerged from under the blanket, grabbed the rose, and brought it under the covers with her. As she she traced a finger over the smooth petals, she sighed.  
  
John had no idea how close she was to giving in.  
  
Or on second thought...maybe he did.  
  
 **Saturday**  
  
As Ronnie sat in a crowded restaurant with John that night, she found herself watching him closely and waiting. They had been lucky enough to secure a babysitter for the evening, leaving them free to go on an actual date, something they had not done in a very long time. And they _were_ enjoying themselves, but Ronnie was anticipating the moment when he would ask yet again, and so, she kept the word _no_ tucked in the back of her throat, just in case.  
  
But by the time their evening was winding down, John still hadn't asked her the burning question he asked her every day, the question that he never actually said out loud, but that he articulated quite clearly with his eyes and with every _please?_ he aimed her way.  
  
Ronnie allowed her gaze to slowly sweep across the entire restaurant, filled to the brim with happy couples. Some of them were holding hands, some of the women had baby bumps, and Ronnie had a feeling she knew exactly what all of them were going to be doing later. She felt her cheeks burn red as she turned back to John to find him watching her.  
  
The corner of his right mouth twitched, before it lifted slowly, almost imperceptibly. And as his eyes remained locked with hers, his entire face broke into a smile that lit up his eyes.  
  
Ronnie smiled back and leaned forward, waiting for him to say _please_ , waiting for him to ask her yet again, because this time...this time she thought she might say yes. And then she could tell him that perhaps they were ready, and besides, she loved him enough to grant his wish.  
  
But John didn't say anything. He merely got to his feet and held out his hand to her, and as they walked arm in arm out of the restaurant, Ronnie tried not to be disappointed.  
  
Yet, her heart sank lower during the quiet car ride home, and by the time they were on the front steps of the little house that was nestled in Putney, she couldn't bear it any longer. As John put a hand on the doorknob, Ronnie put her hand over his, preventing him from opening the door.  
  
"You...you didn't ask today," she said, finding she was filled with all kinds of emotions, the most prominent being nervous excitement.  
  
John leaned his shoulder against the door frame and looked down at her. "Because you've told me no. Every day."  
  
Ronnie dropped her gaze. "Oh." And then she scolded herself for being a silly girl because of _course_ , that's exactly what she had done. She had set boundaries, she had drawn a line in the sand, she had adorned her sword and shield. She couldn't expect him to continue to chase her.  
  
She felt John place a gentle finger under her chin and lift her face so that she was forced to look into his shining gray eyes.  
  
"Have you changed your mind?" he asked softly.  
  
Ronnie inhaled the sharp fall air, and was just about to answer him, when the door suddenly opened and their babysitter welcomed them home.  
  
As she got ready for bed that night, Ronnie had enough time to regain her senses. She had been severely tempted, so close to surrender, thanks to the simple magic of being on an actual date. But as she crawled into the bed and sat besides John, she painstakingly put her metaphorical steel gate back up around herself and kissed John goodnight. As she over rolled over and turned off the lamp, she knew that John was a perfect gentleman at heart and would realize that there was a deep moat between them that he couldn't yet cross.  
  
Squeezing her eyes shut, Ronnie buried her head under her pillow.  
  
 **Sunday**

The rainy afternoon brought with it a sense of doom and gloom, which matched Ronnie's mood perfectly. After the boys had been put down for a nap, Ronnie stood at the window in the living room and stared out into the gray downpour.  
  
Someone cleared their throat behind her and she spun around.  
  
John was standing there, his dark blue button-down shirt tucked neatly into a pair of white pants, and his hair was freshly brushed.  
  
Ronnie smiled at him. "Meeting the band today?"  
  
"No," John replied, and Ronnie wondered why he looked so nervous.  
  
"Are you...going out at all?" Ronnie asked curiously.  
  
"N-no," John said again, taking two steps towards her.  
  
Ronnie suddenly felt very self conscious in her sweatpants and t-shirt, with her hair piled messily on top of her head.  
  
And that feeling only intensified when John got down onto one knee and pulled out a small, black box.  
  
With wide eyes, Ronnie pressed herself against the cold panes of the window, as if that would offer some kind of escape. She reminded herself that there was no reason to be anxious, because she already had a ring on her left ringer. And besides, anything could be in that small ring box. John could have put a walnut in it, if he really wanted to.  
  
With trembling fingers, John held the box up. "Ronnie..."  
  
Ronnie stared down at him with a heart that was positively fluttering.  
  
John opened the box and whispered, "W-will you have another baby with me?"  
  
There wasn't a ring in the soft, black velvet slot of the jewelry box. Rather, there was a condom tucked in there, and it had been carefully cut in half.  
  
Ronnie covered her mouth as a delighted grin spread across her face.  
  
"Please?" John added hopefully, the same word he had been serenading her with all week long.  
  
Ronnie dropped to her knees and threw her arms around him.  
  
"Is...is that another no?" John asked uncertainly.  
  
"It's a _yes_ ," Ronnie whispered into his ear, and she felt him wrap his arms around her so tightly that she momentarily wondered if she'd have any ribs left when he let go.  
  
"Thank... _thank_ you," John whispered, relief and gratitude mingling together to create one of the sweetest sounds Ronnie had ever heard.  
  
She pulled back and took the ring box from him. As she observed the condom that had been severed in half, she noted, "Very clever of you."  
  
"I had to make a point," John said as he blushed slightly.  
  
Ronnie lowered herself to the floor, closed the tiny box, and held it against her heart.  
  
"When did you want to..." John swallowed hard. "...start trying? We could wait a few weeks, or even a few months if you'd feel more comfortable - "  
  
"Now," Ronnie said.  
  
"N-now?" John repeated.  
  
"Yes," Ronnie said softly. "Right now." And she pulled him closer as the rain pattered incessantly against the windowpanes.  
  
"Here?" John asked in surprise. "On the floor?"  
  
"Whatever works," Ronnie whispered, as her lips brushed his.  
  
John had just taken her fully into his arms when a soft little cry sounded from the other room.  
  
Pulling away, John gave her an apologetic smile. "Later?"

Ronnie brushed a stray piece of hair away from his face. "Later," she promised.  
  
As she watched him hurry from the room to comfort baby Michael, Ronnie wrapped her arms around herself and leaned her head back against the wall with a happy sigh.  
  
She had waited seven days. Surely, she could wait seven more hours.


End file.
